Illuminated beach balls



Jan. 18, 1966 w ALLEN, JR 3,229,976

ILLUMINATED BEACH BALLS Filed March 25, 1963 ik k ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent O 3,229,976 ILLUMINATED BEACH BALLS Walter L.Allen, Jr., Oak Park, lll.

(419 W. Elm St., Villa Park, Ill.) Filed Mar. 25, 1963, Ser. No. 267,5776 Claims. (Cl. 273-58) My invention relates to the variety of largeplaying balls used `on the beach, on a lawn or in the water. A ball ofthis type is usually made of pliable plastic material; and in some casesthe material is translucent and the interior of the ball illuminated, sothat the ball may be attractive and easy to follow or catch when it getsdark. Also, beach balls are usually inflatable in order to hold theirshape and bounce on impact with the ground.

In the construction of a ball having the above properties, severalfactors dealing with the eiiiciency of the ball must be considered, suchas means for inating the ball, the manner of installing the lightingelement and access to the latter for control, renewal or otherattention. With these considerations in mind, it is one object of thepresent invention to provide a lighting element which is positioned inthe central region, whereby to lend the ball uniform illumination on allsides.

A further object is to provide an electric light installation in theball which extends in a medial course and imparts balance to the ball.

Another object is to employ two battery cells as the current source forthe lighting element, such cells being positioned in the central regionof the ball with the lighting element in alinement with them, whereby tostabilize the ball against rolling tendencies when it is left in a givenplace.

A still further object is to `design an internal unit for the ball whichcontains the complete lighting facility, provides easy access t-o thelatter and also contains an inating device for the ball.

An additional object is to design the lighting facility in the form of aunit which may be controlled from the outer side of the ball and easilyremoved for the replacement of battery cells or other attention.

An important object is to design the lighting and inflating means as atubular unit suitable for ycentral installation in the ball and endwisesealing to the wall of the same.

A better understanding of the invention may be gained by reference tothe `accompanying drawings, in which- FIG. 1 is an elevational View ofthe ball, broken away to reveal the novel lighting and inflatinginstallation;

FIG. 2 is a magnified section of the said installation;

FIGS. 3 and 4 are respectively, sections on the lines 3-3 and 4-4 ofFIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a duplication of the bottom portion of FIG. 2, with one partremoved and another extended; and

FIG. 6 is a perspective view, partly in section, of a lightinginstallation seen in the center portion of FIG. 2.

Referring specically to the drawing, 10 denotes the wall or casing ofthe beach ball, segmental lines 10a indicating the conventional methodof its assembly. For t-he present purpose, the wall or casing is made ofpliable plastic material which is translucent and preferably coloredwith contrasting or ornamental effects.

For the purpose of the invention the ball 10 is made with circularopenings 10b on opposite sides suitable for receiving the novel lightinginstallation between them. The latter is mainly in the form of a longtube 12 of translucent plastic material and adapted to receive a cap 13over one of its ends. The outer ends of the tube and cap are flared inthe form of circular discs 12a and 13a for sealing .application asexternal closures for the ball openings ltlb along the areas indicatedat 14.

3,229,976 Patented Jan. 18, 1966 ICC The cap 13 and tube 12 areassembled through the agency of an annular `snap-joint 15 seen in the-lower portion of FIG. 2, the material of the joint components having afactor of yieldability for that purpose. When installed as described,the tube 12 occupies a diametrical position in the center of the ball.

The tube 12 is employed as a facility for inating the ball 10. Thus, thecap 13 contains a receptacle 16 which extend-s outwardly with athin-walled tubular stem 16a normally `rolled up a's shown at 16h inFIG. 2; and the receptacle 16 is tapped in its outer end as indicated at16C to receive a screw-plug 18 designed to bear against the r-oll 16b asshown, the screw-plug having an external rib 18a as a finger-hold torotate it. When the ball is to be inflated, the screw-plug is removedand the stem 16a unrolled to the form shown in FIG. 5. When air is blownor pumped into the stem 16a, holes 12b made in the tube 12 serve to passthe air into the ball cavity. The stem 16b is rolled up to hold the airmomentarily, while the screw-plug 18 follows as a permanent stopper.

The medial portion of the tube 12 serves as a housing for the holder 20of two electric battery cells 22 which are arranged inlongitudinally-spaced relation. The holder is a long spring metal stripfrom which clips 20a extend to engage the battery cells as seen in FIG.4. The holder has a bottom end 2Gb which rests on a partition 12h` inthe lower part of the tube 12; andthe bend 2Gb has a terminal 20c whichis engaged by the casing of the lower battery cell.

Between the battery cells the holder 20 furnishes a support for thelight bulb 23 in the form of a C-shaped bracket 25. The lower arm 25a ofthe latter is perforated for the threaded passage of the bulb base 23ato an extent engaging the center terminal of the light bulb with thecenter terminal 22a of the lower battery cell, as Vshown in FIG. 2. Thebracket 25 is separated by insulation material from the holder 20, suchmaterial being in the form of a block 27 of yieldable plastic material.FIGS. 2 and 5 show that that the block has a medial web 27a which formsthe insulating separator for the bracket 25 from the holder 20, thebracket lodging in an undercut receptacle 27h in one side of the block,and the holder passing through a similar receptacle 27e in the otherside thereof. The bracket is movable along the holder by the frictionalsliding of the block 27 along the same.

As seen in FIG. 2, the upper arm 25h of the bracket 25 has a terminal25C in 'contact with the casing of the upper battery cell 22. The holderthen rises to a point above such battery cell, where it terminates withan inclined blade portion 20c carrying a terminal 20d in a positiondirectly over the center terminal 22b of the upper battery cell.

The outer end of the tube 12 is tapped las indicated at 12d for theinsertion of a screw-plug 30 which is of yieldable plastic material andmakes a hermetical closure for the tube when screwed down, the outer endof the screwplug having a rib 30a as a finger grip. The screw-plug hasan inward stem extension 30h meeting the blade portion 20c. The latter,therefore, serves as a switch to turn the light bulb 23 oif when thes-crew-plug 30 is in the retracted position shown in FIG. 2, or on whenthe screwplug is advanced.

It will now be apparent that the novel lighting and inflatinginstallation has a number of advantageous features. First, it provides alight bulb in the center of the ball cavity, whereby to cast the lightevenly in all directions. Further, the installation is axial in respectto the ball, so that the ball is not thrown out of balance. Further, thetwo battery cells are grouped in the central region, so that theystabilize the ball by their weight and against tendencies to roll whenthe ball is left in a given place. Further, all the features of theinstallation are concentrated in a single column which occupies aminimum of space in the center of the ball. Further, the installation isnot only sealed endwise to the walls of the ball, but is also yieldableinherently. Thus, the snap joint 15 is normally at the inner end of along cavity 13b in the wall of the cap 13, which allows the cap and tubet telescope when the ball receives external impact or pressure in theend regions of the tube installation. In this respect the holes 12b inthe sides of the tube pass the compressed air created by the impact orpressure to the general interior of the ball, whereby to distribute thepressure into all parts of the same. The yieldable nature of the tubeinstallation therefore saves injury to internal parts or breakage of thelight bulb. Further, switching of the light bulb is controlled from theoutside of the ball by simple turning action. Further, access to theinterior of the central tube is gained easily by removing theterminalscrew plug. In this connection, it is apparent that the assembly of theinternal holder, light bulb and battery cells is removable as a unitwithout deating the ball, for handy access in case the light bulb or abattery cell has to be changed. Further, the battery cells not only holdtheir place in the holder by virtue of the clips 20a, but the bracketsupporting the light bulb is slidable to insure the electricalengagement of the light bulb with the adjacent battery cell. Further,the installation is made water-tight endwise, whereby to keep out wateror moisture when the ball rolls over wet ground or into the water.Finally, the installation is of a simple nature, and its parts aresuiciently sturdy to withstand such shocks or Vibrations as the ball mayencounter when used on a beach or lawn.

I claim:

1. An internal installation for hollow ball comprising an illuminatingunit in the same, and means extending from said unit to opposite wallportions of the ball for purposes of support, said unit being a lightbulb, a pair of battery cells aligned adjacent to the latter, a holderalongside the battery cells and extended with portions engaging them,and an insulated support for the light bulb carried by the holder, saidsupport having a portion disposing the light bulb in contact with thecenter terminal of one battery cell and the opposite portion in contactwith the casing of the other battery cell, said means comprising atubular enclosure for the assembly of the light bulb, battery cells andholder.

2. An internal installation for a hollow ball comprising an illuminatingunit in the same, and means extending kfrom said unit to opposite wallportions of the ball for purposes of support, said unit being a lightbulb, a pair of battery cells aligned on opposite sides of the latter, a

holder alongside the battery cells and extended with portions engagingthem, and a support for the light bulb carried by the holder, saidsupport having a metallic element with one end portion disposing thelight bulb in contact with the center terminal of one battery cell andthe other end portion in contact with the casing of the other batterycell, and an insulation block between said element and the holderandslidable along the latter to maintain the rst mentioned contact, saidmeans comprising a tubular enclosure for the assembly of the light bulb,battery cells andholder.

3. An internal installation for a hollow ball comprising a translucenttube across the center portion of the ball Vand having a tapped entrancein one end, a light bulb in the center region of the tube, an outer andan inner bat- ,.tery cell alined in the `latter with the light bulbtherebebetween one terminal of the light bulb and one terminal of theouter battery; the other terminal of the light bulb engaging theterminal of the inner battery, said support contacting the otherterminal of the inner battery and having a portion spaced from the otherterminal of the outer battery, and a screw plug adapted to be advancedin said entrance moving said portion of said holder into contact withthe other terminal of the outer battery the support yielding to pressurefrom the outer battery cell for maintaining electrical contact betweenthe light bulb and the inner battery cell.

4. An illuminated ball assembly comprising an inflatable, yieldableball, and an illuminating unit extending diametrically of said ball,said illuminating unit Comprising a light-permeable tube extendingdiametrically of said ball and having an axial compartment opening intoone end thereof, a manually-operable battery-and bulb assembly disposedin said axial compartment and including switch means closing said oneend of said tube,

lsaid tube comprising telescoped sections including a cap element at theother end of said tube, said cap element including a receptacle portionhaving an inilating ste-m thereon, said inating stem communicating withthe interior of said tube, said tube having an aperture portion inwardlyof said stem connecting the interior of said adjacent said Vone end ofsaid tube, said switch means cornl prising a removable lcap elementdisplaceably supported in said one end of said tube and including amanually displacable switch portion for closing the circuit o f saidbattery-and-bulb assembly.

6. An illuminated ball assembly comprising an inl .flatable, yieldableball, and an illuminating unit comprising a light-permeable tubeextending diametrically ofsaid ball and having an axial compartmentopening into one end thereof, a manually-operable battery-andi bulbassembly disposed in said axial compartment and including switch meansclosing said one end of said tube, said tube comprising telescopedsections including a cap element at the other end of said tube, saidtube having an aperture portion inwardly of said cap element andconnecting the interiorof said tube to the interior of said ball, saidcap element including means thereon for inilating said ball through saidtube and aperture portion,

said tube sections having relative axial movementduringl impact to saidilluminating unit whereby air compressed in said telescoped sections isdischarged into said ball.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,858,991 5/1932Frost 240-10 1,875,048 8/1932 Levene 240-1 2,258,540 10/ 1941 Cressaty240-6.45 2,424,432 7/ 1947 Bower 240-6.45 2,677,045 4/ 1954 MacArthur240--1` 2,871,343 1/ 1959 Whitney 240-10 3,011,048 11/1961 OBrien Z110-6.4` 3,106,397 10/1963 Lacey 46-88 NORTON ANSHER, Primary Examiner.

ROBERT L. EVANS, Examiner.

6. AN ILLUMINATED BALL ASSEMBLY COMPRISING AN INFLATABLE, YIELDABLEBALL, AND AN ILLUMINATING UNIT COMPRISING A LIGHT-PERMEABLE TUBEEXTENDING DIAMETRICALLY OF SAID BALL AND HAVING AN AXIAL COMPARTMENTOPENING INTO ONE END THEREOF, A MANUALLY-OPERABLE BATTERY-ANDBULBASSEMBLY DISPOSED IN SAID AXIAL COMPARTMENT AND INCLUDING SWITCH MEANSCLOSING SAID ONE END OF SAID TUBE, SAID TUBE COMPRISING TELESCOPEDSECTIONS INCLUDING A CAP ELEMENT AT THE OTHER END OF SAID TUBE, SAIDTUBE HAVING